For those at risk for severe withdrawal symptoms, medically-supervised detox is often the safest choice for beginning their sobriety or moderation journey. Others may discover after consulting with a doctor that it’s safe for them to quit alcohol cold turkey if they choose to. However, they may still decide that tapering down how to taper off alcohol at home feels most achievable for them. If you’re not sure if cold turkey or tapering is right for you, you can join the Monument Community to hear from others who have confronted similar questions. Whatever method you use to taper down, your plan should also be approved and monitored by a healthcare profession to ensure your safety.

Have A Strong Support System

You may want to talk with a loved one or therapist about why it happened and what you can do differently next time. Drink plenty of fluids, but you don’t have to drink just water. Keep it interesting and varied with sparkling water, virgin cocktails (also known as mocktails), fruit juices, low-fat milk, or kombucha. Keep in mind that fruit juice and kombucha may be high in sugar. Keep a list of emergency phone numbers on hand that includes contact info for your doctor, the police, a nearby hospital, and someone you trust.

• Sunshine Behavioral Health strives to help people who are facing substance abuse, addiction, mental health disorders, or a combination of these conditions.
• Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that leads to an increase in brain neurotransmitters that slow down your brain’s functions, such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).
• Slowly, to reduce the discomfort of withdrawal symptoms, you will come off the medication with the goal being complete abstinence from alcohol.
• If you’re living with alcohol use disorder (also known as alcoholism), you’ll likely benefit from additional medical interventions.
• Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal tend to peak 24 to 72 hours after your last drink.
• Various treatment programs are available to help you recover from addiction.

Alcohol Tapering Schedule

They can provide recommendations to help you avoid harmful side effects. Establishing new habits and routines, and dealing with the underlying causes of your drinking habits, are essential to lasting recovery. Alcohol also changes your brain chemistry, which can result in higher levels of anxiety and depression for the first several months.

Unsupervised Medical Care

• Self-help books or apps are less likely tohelp you successfully quit if you are addicted to alcohol.
• Turner notes the importance of bringing along a trusted support person when attending events that involve alcohol.
• If you have a severe alcohol addiction, it might be best to seek professional addiction treatment.
• Instead of quitting alcohol cold turkey, you can steadily reduce your consumption so that your body has time to gradually readjust to absence of alcohol.
• For example, some people choose to write a list of reasons why they want to stop drinking alcohol, and revisit the list to remind themselves after a relapse.

When GABA opens the channel to a negative charge, ethanol keeps that channel open for longer, leading to feelings of sedation, muscle relaxation, and other depressant-like effects. Alcohol is a central https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/15-benefits-of-the-alcohol-free-lifestyle/ nervous system depressant that works in the brain by slowing down activity. It achieves its effects by working with an inhibitory neurotransmitter called gamma-aminobutyric acid, known as GABA.

Recognize Dangerous Withdrawal Symptoms

Alcohol dependence and addiction are serious medical conditions. Minor symptoms of alcohol withdrawal can be overcome with rest and at-home remedies, and it is possible for some people to taper off alcohol without supervision. However, individuals who suffer from alcohol addiction require professional rehab. If you’re addicted to alcohol, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to recover without some form of addiction treatment. You may be able to detox at home and recover from alcoholism with the help of support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous. However, medically supervised detox and professional rehab are more likely to help you maintain long-term sobriety.

Pros and Cons of Tapering Off Alcohol Intake